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{{quote|I would not be so presumptuous as to assume that every reader of this book has read The Devil's Double or Ich war Saddams Sohn [I was Saddam's Son]. It is possible that many readers will have approached this book hoping to learn more about the political and social aspects raised, particularly with regard to asylum seeking in general, or how the '''American CIA''', [[Saudi Arabian]] and [[Austrians|Austrian]] administrations deal with dissent of any kind. For readers who have not read the story of how I ended up in Austria, or those who have read it and require a reminder, the following few paragraphs cover the same ground very briefly.}}
{{quote|I would not be so presumptuous as to assume that every reader of this book has read The Devil's Double or Ich war Saddams Sohn [I was Saddam's Son]. It is possible that many readers will have approached this book hoping to learn more about the political and social aspects raised, particularly with regard to asylum seeking in general, or how the '''American CIA''', [[Saudi Arabian]] and [[Austrians|Austrian]] administrations deal with dissent of any kind. For readers who have not read the story of how I ended up in Austria, or those who have read it and require a reminder, the following few paragraphs cover the same ground very briefly.}}
'''''The Black Hole'''' Description

This Book has been banned in Ireland and USA Book Shops The Black Hole,The Real Story How the CIA destroyed Latif Yahia's life, After his escape to the West reveals the role of the CIA in his Extraordinary and Chilling Life Story. The Black Hole is the next chapter in the extraordinary and chilling life story of author Latif Yahia. Having escaped the brutal Iraqi regime through Northern Iraq with the help of the CIA in 1992, Latif touched down in Austria. Having family in the pristine and picturesque city of Vienna, Latif is somewhat reassured that his life will be calmer now without Uday Saddam Hussein and his hedonistically violent lifestyle. Alongside Latif is Nusa, a hired girl, a plaything and ego boost for her Baghdadi clientele, although she has never been mentioned in Latif's past works the reasons for her concealment become apparent as the story unfolds. Unfortunately life was never to become the idyll that Latif desired, his knowledge or perceived knowledge of the inner Iraqi regime was to become his saviour and his tormentor. This, left him chained and unable to move forward, as much as he wished to forget, his handlers wanted to know more. Latif became almost a prized item in the world of International Intelligence with nearly all of the world's Intelligence agencies vying for his allegiance, his pleas for neutrality and normality unheard. Ultimately Latif was to pay the price for his uncooperative stance; ten and a half months were spent in a covert Austrian/CIA prison cell in solitary confinement, until by chance his freedom was assured by a visiting judge. One would think that after such events Latif's life may take a quieter turn, this was not to be the case, the game of cat and mouse that played out across the breadth of Europe was interspersed by the tragic death of Latif's beloved father, several assassination attempts and the murder of his first real love a Saudi Arabian Princess Latif Yahia's previous books have sold over one million copies worldwide in twenty languages. Latif Yahia now lives in Ireland with his Irish wife and children, they are raising Latif's niece and nephew who lost their mother in Shock and Awe during the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. This was a deciding factor in Latif's decision to donate the proceeds of The Black Hole to the children's Hospital where his children were born in Ireland. Dr. Latif Yahia was born in Baghdad Iraq to a wealthy businessman in 1964, he lived a happy uneventful life until 1987 when he re-encountered Uday Saddam Hussein. The two had previously been at the same school together and both had the desire to study engineering and had applied to the same university, but when Latif realised that he would have to spend another 4yrs with Uday he changed to Law, he went on to gain a Doctorate in International Law. Latif was then forced to become the double for Uday, the threats against his family were too great for him to refuse Uday and he spent the next 4yrs being a bullet catcher and did catch a few, he now bears the scars of 11. Since Latif's escape from the Iraqi regime in 1991, he has been imprisoned in a covert CIA prison in Austria, hunted by Iraqi intelligence and head hunted by the New Iraqi government a position he rejected. He has studied psychology and is a sucessful businessman, he now lives in Ireland with his wife, Mother and four children, two of whom are his Niece and Nephew, their mother was killed in Baghdad during shock and awe in 2003, their father, Latif's brother is missing. Having lived in Ireland for the best part of ten years Latif has applied for Irish Naturalisation and has been rejected twice, he remains philosophical and calls himself a citizen of the world but still remains stateless Since 1991, when he left Iraq to the west.[http://arcanum-publishing.com/ Arcanum Publishing]
He settled in Ireland for a decade, but his applications for citizenship were rejected.<ref>[http://www.independent.ie/national-news/paper-wins-appeal-against-saddam-sons-body-double-1420590.html ''"...the fact that he was facing criminal charges will not bode well in his efforts to stay in the country..."''], Niamh O'Connor, February 2003</ref><ref>[http://www.eoinbutler.com/interviews/interview-with-controversial-iraqi-exile-latif-yahia/#more-47 "Latif Yahia: Self-proclaimed peace activist. Alleged arms dealer. All-round nice guy"], Eoin Butler, Mongrel Magazine – March 2007</ref>


In an interview with [[BBC News]] HARDtalk in 2009, Yahia called Uday Hussein "worse than a psychopath" and related an incident where Uday took "a beautiful woman and transformed her into a barely breathing hunk of meat". He added that the woman was later murdered and her body dumped.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/8388903.stm "Uday Hussein was 'worse than a psychopath'."] BBC News. Accessed December 2, 2009.</ref>
In an interview with [[BBC News]] HARDtalk in 2009, Yahia called Uday Hussein "worse than a psychopath" and related an incident where Uday took "a beautiful woman and transformed her into a barely breathing hunk of meat". He added that the woman was later murdered and her body dumped.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/8388903.stm "Uday Hussein was 'worse than a psychopath'."] BBC News. Accessed December 2, 2009.</ref>

Revision as of 06:47, 6 January 2011

Latif Yahia


Dr. Latif Yahia al-Salihi , (born June 14, 1964) is an Iraqi born author, blogger, Ph.D in International Law, and former military officer in the Iran-Iraq War. Latif was forcibly recruited to be the body double of Saddam Hussein's elder son Uday Hussein.[1]

Biography

Latif was born to Kurdish Muslim parents, Yahia al-Salihi, a wealthy businessman and Bahar al-Midjadi. Because of his businessman father's wealth, Latif was able to attend the best schools in Iraq in order to get a good education. While attending school at the age of 15, Latif became classmates with Uday Hussein. Latif's classmates picked up on the fact that he had a resemblance to Uday.

Latif's second series of encounters with Uday came after the Iran-Iraq war had begun. Uday, who was of legal age for military service during the war, did not volunteer to fight, nor was he conscripted into the Iraqi military.[citation needed] At the age of 23, his unit received a dispatch ordering Latif to report to the Presidential Palace. Upon arriving at the Palace, Latif was informed that he was to become Uday's fiday (body double) to make public appearances in the guise of Uday whenever a dangerous situation was expected. Latif initially refused to take on the dangerous job and was subsequently imprisoned in solitary confinement. After the imprisonment, Latif agreed to pose as the body double for Uday. He was trained for 6 months to imitate Uday's speech patterns and manner. He underwent surgery and dental work to make their appearances more similar.[1]

During Iraq's invasion of Kuwait Latif was used as a morale booster for the Iraqi troops, sent to Basra posing as Uday to meet with troops.[1]

When a woman Uday was interested in paid more attention to Latif, Uday shot at him, grazing him. Latif fled north, where he was captured imprisoned by Kurdish rebels, being mistaken for Uday. Eventually his captors realized that he was not Uday, and he was released and granted asylum in Austria in 1992.[1]

From the inside flap of Yahia's The Black Hole':

I would not be so presumptuous as to assume that every reader of this book has read The Devil's Double or Ich war Saddams Sohn [I was Saddam's Son]. It is possible that many readers will have approached this book hoping to learn more about the political and social aspects raised, particularly with regard to asylum seeking in general, or how the American CIA, Saudi Arabian and Austrian administrations deal with dissent of any kind. For readers who have not read the story of how I ended up in Austria, or those who have read it and require a reminder, the following few paragraphs cover the same ground very briefly.

The Black Hole' Description This Book has been banned in Ireland and USA Book Shops The Black Hole,The Real Story How the CIA destroyed Latif Yahia's life, After his escape to the West reveals the role of the CIA in his Extraordinary and Chilling Life Story. The Black Hole is the next chapter in the extraordinary and chilling life story of author Latif Yahia. Having escaped the brutal Iraqi regime through Northern Iraq with the help of the CIA in 1992, Latif touched down in Austria. Having family in the pristine and picturesque city of Vienna, Latif is somewhat reassured that his life will be calmer now without Uday Saddam Hussein and his hedonistically violent lifestyle. Alongside Latif is Nusa, a hired girl, a plaything and ego boost for her Baghdadi clientele, although she has never been mentioned in Latif's past works the reasons for her concealment become apparent as the story unfolds. Unfortunately life was never to become the idyll that Latif desired, his knowledge or perceived knowledge of the inner Iraqi regime was to become his saviour and his tormentor. This, left him chained and unable to move forward, as much as he wished to forget, his handlers wanted to know more. Latif became almost a prized item in the world of International Intelligence with nearly all of the world's Intelligence agencies vying for his allegiance, his pleas for neutrality and normality unheard. Ultimately Latif was to pay the price for his uncooperative stance; ten and a half months were spent in a covert Austrian/CIA prison cell in solitary confinement, until by chance his freedom was assured by a visiting judge. One would think that after such events Latif's life may take a quieter turn, this was not to be the case, the game of cat and mouse that played out across the breadth of Europe was interspersed by the tragic death of Latif's beloved father, several assassination attempts and the murder of his first real love a Saudi Arabian Princess Latif Yahia's previous books have sold over one million copies worldwide in twenty languages. Latif Yahia now lives in Ireland with his Irish wife and children, they are raising Latif's niece and nephew who lost their mother in Shock and Awe during the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. This was a deciding factor in Latif's decision to donate the proceeds of The Black Hole to the children's Hospital where his children were born in Ireland. Dr. Latif Yahia was born in Baghdad Iraq to a wealthy businessman in 1964, he lived a happy uneventful life until 1987 when he re-encountered Uday Saddam Hussein. The two had previously been at the same school together and both had the desire to study engineering and had applied to the same university, but when Latif realised that he would have to spend another 4yrs with Uday he changed to Law, he went on to gain a Doctorate in International Law. Latif was then forced to become the double for Uday, the threats against his family were too great for him to refuse Uday and he spent the next 4yrs being a bullet catcher and did catch a few, he now bears the scars of 11. Since Latif's escape from the Iraqi regime in 1991, he has been imprisoned in a covert CIA prison in Austria, hunted by Iraqi intelligence and head hunted by the New Iraqi government a position he rejected. He has studied psychology and is a sucessful businessman, he now lives in Ireland with his wife, Mother and four children, two of whom are his Niece and Nephew, their mother was killed in Baghdad during shock and awe in 2003, their father, Latif's brother is missing. Having lived in Ireland for the best part of ten years Latif has applied for Irish Naturalisation and has been rejected twice, he remains philosophical and calls himself a citizen of the world but still remains stateless Since 1991, when he left Iraq to the west.Arcanum Publishing

In an interview with BBC News HARDtalk in 2009, Yahia called Uday Hussein "worse than a psychopath" and related an incident where Uday took "a beautiful woman and transformed her into a barely breathing hunk of meat". He added that the woman was later murdered and her body dumped.[2]

On film

A movie The Devil's Double directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Dominic Cooper was filmed in Malta in early 2010, and is expected to be released later in the year.[3][4]

Books

  • I was Saddam's Son released on May 1, 1997 by Arcade Publishing Hardcover: 250 pages Co-author: Karl Wendl. (translated to German as Ich War Saddams Sohn on March 1, 2003 Although the book was published in 1997, the story never received widespread media attention [5] until after the 2003 invasion of Iraq six years later. The book has sold over one million copies worldwide in twenty languages.
  • The Devil's Double released on June 5, 2003 by Arrow Books Ltd. Paperback: 334 pages.
  • The Black Hole: The Real Story of the Man Who Was Forced to Become the Double Of Saddam Hussein's Sadistic Son released on November 20, 2006 by Arcanum Publishing Paperback: 224 pages.

"The Black Hole" has been banned in Irish and US bookstores because it spotlights the CIA's policies of secret prisons and rendition in a time before 9/11[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Being double to Saddam's son more than a job". The Daily Courier. Yavapai County, Arizona. November 5, 1995. pp. A12. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  2. ^ "Uday Hussein was 'worse than a psychopath'." BBC News. Accessed December 2, 2009.
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ [2]
  5. ^ "Interview with Latif Yahia, look-alike of Saddam Hussein's son on Sunday 15 June 2003". BBC News. June 15, 2003.

Official websites

Template:Persondata

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